INDIANAPOLIS - An east side restaurant owner made international headlines last month when, after a robbery, he started offering 25 percent discounts to customers with licenses to carry a handgun.
Papa Roux Cajun restaurant made good on that promise and this weekend, they are taking it a step further.
Papa Roux employees spent Sunday in the classroom at the Eagle Creek Firearms Training Facility. The firearms safety course was taught by Guy Relford, attorney and President of Tactical Firearms Training.
"With the increased awareness of the violence and just the fact that I am encouraging responsible responses to it, I figured the entire crew of Papa Roux should probably receive firearms safety training, including when and how to get involved, but more importantly when and how to not get involved," said Papa Roux Owner Art Bouvier.
One of the students and members of the "Roux Crew" was working the register last month when a man came in, said he had a gun, and got away with tip money.
"I was scared as hell when that happened and if I knew that I was trained with a gun, I would be so much more ready to encounter people that threaten your life," said Papa Roux employee Alex Verbarg.
The four-hour training session included two hours of classroom instruction and two hours in the range. The course was voluntary for employees, though most decided to participate.
"I had some employees that were emotionally held hostage by the situation. And between the knowledge that the community has our back, but I think more than that, the knowledge that maybe we are not perceived as an easy target, it has everyone feeling a little better. We don't expect a repeat performance," Bouvier said.
The discount prompted considerable responses online on both sides of the issue. One commenter said she would never go to the restaurant again. Still, the discount has boosted business.
"I've had people come in, know that they have the discount, show that their permit and not take the 25 percent off. Just because they like what Papa's doing," Verbarg said.
Bouvier hopes the training will also boost confidence.
"This doesn't mean that I am arming them, I am absolutely not. But you can be educated and aware without actually being part of it," Bouvier said.
